Here's the local take putting the fear of losing vital law enforcement services in as a plug for the tax.

What ticks me off is that they are using FUD to try and push the vote on the tax. They're using $200 million in stimulus money, plus local money, around a half billion or more total, to build a freaking 10 mile long light rail line from downtown to north of the city line, only one leg of many that are planned eventually, half a billion dollars. This is supposed to stimulate the local economy in the long run somehow by brining people into a downtown that has always rolled the sidewalks up at 6:00 for as long as I can remember. The mass transit here isn't very complex, but it doesn't need to be. The downtown area is only a little over a mile long, all down one stretch of road, not much branching out except for a block or so each side. We have a bus line and taxis that are having trouble getting riders, why try another venue?

Just think about the different audiences for CNN and WBNS. CNN has to make the story relevant for a nation-wide audience, so they have to mention the irony that 25 cops that President Obama made such a big deal out of might lose their jobs. Locally, the presidential angle is much less important. I don't stick up for CNN all that often, but they had to contextualize this story in a way that would make people from out of town care.

Light rail is a big we'll see. It works very well in some areas. In Chicago, if you were to build a new "L" line in an area of the city that didn't have one previously, you just raised the property value of the surrounding neighborhoods and gave all of the local businesses a breath of fresh customers. Light rail is the best stimulus we have in Chicago, but it works because there is a huge transportation hub downtown and being connected to the light rail system means also being connected to the commuter rail system, Amtrak, two international airports, and a ton of attractions downtown.

If Columbus has a commuting population to the north of the city, light rail isn't a terrible idea to attract people to the area. They should start with heavy commuter rail though first. It's easier to start up and can connect to any future light rail system if they're smart about how they collect fares.

It's more of the same. Look what California just did. No, no, no and damn NO. Government services need to be trimmed by 40% and even that will still leave way too much waste. Non-stimulous money is only a veiled attempt to entrench government even further.

e of the same. Look what California just did. No, no, no and damn NO. Government services need to be trimmed by 40% and even that will still leave way too much waste. Non-stimulous money is only a veiled attempt to entrench government even further.

In the news today, stuff we can be really proud of ...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday sent lawmakers his plan to trim more than $5 billion in spending by dismantling or drastically curtailing state programs that provide Californians with healthcare, higher education, welfare, parks, AIDS treatment and counseling, prisoner rehabilitation and other services ... ... by eliminating the CalWorks welfare program and the Healthy Families program for children's healthcare -- which would affect 930,000 children-- the state could save nearly $1.6 billion. But it would also lose $4.7 billion in federal funds.

You might have better luck keeping the sidewalks unrolled to midnight if you would stop with the brining. Pickled people postpone purchases.

The downtown is only geared towards, and has always been geared towards 9 to 5 offices so even if the pickles left the jar they would have no where to go. This is an entirely different city from the East coast big city models so you can't compare to what you live in. It's a small city that wants to be a Chicago. It's a farm town, not a culture haven. We have no multitudes of entertainment in the downtown. There isn't a variety of theaters, shows, etc. It's office space.

"Downtown" stretches a whopping 8 blocks long, and about 4 blocks wide with a highway on one side and a river on the other. Outside of the metro area are dwellings, so the commerce ends abruptly. A one mile stretch 4 block wide stretch. Look out your window and compare.

There is plenty of parking, especially after 5 when the workers go home and vacate the garages and parking lots. Getting there and parking is not a problem, it's having something to do once you get there. They tried City Center. Easy access, dirt cheap or free parking onsite. It's being leveled.

Light rail is the best stimulus we have in Chicago, but it works because there is a huge transportation hub downtown and being connected to the light rail system means also being connected to the commuter rail system, Amtrak, two international airports, and a ton of attractions downtown.

As I mentioned, our downtown is 8 blocks long by about 4 blocks wide, totally different. I know Chicago, been there many times. There is more entertainment going on in the two blocks around the Sears tower than the whole downtown area here. The one thing we do have going is parking, which in Chicago is minimum and premium so a good public transport is needed, especially with as far as the downtown is spread out. There is also the lake on one side which attracts activity.

Just think about the different audiences for CNN and WBNS. CNN has to make the story relevant for a nation-wide audience, so they have to mention the irony that 25 cops that President Obama made such a big deal out of might lose their jobs. Locally, the presidential angle is much less important. I don't stick up for CNN all that often, but they had to contextualize this story in a way that would make people from out of town care.

In other words making something relevant to a nation-wide audience is not giving the whole story? What happened to giving all the facts so we can make up our own minds.

I forgot to mention the millions spent on fancy lighted arches across the main drag that shorted out the first year they lit up, 2002. They were out for 5 years, finally got the problems solved and lit up in 2007.

Now we have a fancy street but no cops to patrol it. The money goes to the wrong things around here.

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